For today’s post, I just wanted to hop on really quick and try to put into words why I’ve chosen to start incorporating more and more film into my work, since a lot of the time, when I mention that I shoot film people aren’t really even sure exactly what that means. Just a quick explanation for those who aren’t familiar with film, I don’t mean I shoot video – that’s actually a common misconception I get! Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents didn’t have a digital camera yet, so they would put a roll of film into the back of their camera, snap their photos of you and then take it to the nearest CVS to get it developed and printed? That’s the kind of film I’m talking about! My process is pretty much the same as that, except I send my rolls of film to a professional lab to be developed and then scanned to digital format! So the question now is why? I mean, film is pretty expensive – about $7 or $8 to purchase one roll of film, on which I have just 16 shots to capture, then development costs about $18 for one roll, not to mention almost $8 to ship it to the lab! So it adds up very quickly!! But for me, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I prefer film over digital in most situations for several reasons – the first being the tones and colors that are captured on film. Skin tones are a huge thing for me, and there is just something about film that captures skin tones SO beautifully. It is SUPER difficult to emulate the gorgeous skin tones that are achieved on film. It also requires very little editing, so that saves me some time in post production! Another reason I prefer film is that it forces me to be very intentional about what I’m shooting. I honestly feel that when I’m shooting film, I can be my most creative. I have to trust myself because I’m not able to glance at the back of the camera to see what I’m capturing, so I’m focused on making the shots that I do take as good as I possibly can. So yeah, that’s pretty much why I love film so much!! Drop a comment below if I can answer any questions about film for you!
Enjoy the most fall-looking, spring headshot session ever! Haha, but seriously, Michela is so so beautiful and I love every chance we get to hang out and shoot film!
Portra 400 + Fuji 400h | Pentax 645n | scanned by Photovision
Do you have any recommendations for lowering the cost of shooting film? For instance, buying in bulk from a cheaper supplier, sending multiple rolls in at a time, etc. Also, I’m trying to figure out which film lab to use. I’ve only tried Richard Photo Lab so far, but I’ve heard they are one of the more expensive labs. Thanks so much! I love your work.